November 29, 2019

For each new morning with its light,For rest and shelter of the night,For health and food,For love and friends,For everything Thy goodness sends.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Plans changed completely after we were invited to participate in a community Thanksgiving event... so today I decided to prepare a mini-celebration for just the two of us...my son and I.

I set the table with no idea of what I was going to serve, but knew that I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen or doing much cooking.

After looking to see what we had in the fridge, I took some scallops out of the freezer, thawed them and sautéed them in blood orange infused olive oil...

made toast points, and the rest consisted of truffle mousse paté, smoked salmon, cream cheese, brie, Havarti and ham rolls, and a few things like Kalamata olives, roasted pimentos, fig and caramelized onions tapenade, relish, and ginger honey... the ginger honey was in the little persimmon shaped bowl with lid.

My son loves relish on paté. I loved the ginger honey on mine. The ginger honey was also delicious drizzled over the brie.

May we remember to count our blessings every day... Sometimes we do forget what it really is all about...

November 21, 2019

The day started slightly coolish but beautiful...and now it has turned out dreary and wet...

Making a pot of soup with chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, Moluccan spinach, mustard microgreens, and cachucha peppers... I might add noodles just before it's ready...

About Moluccan Spinach... this is part of an article I wrote a few years ago for one of our local papers about the different greens called 'spinach'...Malabar, Okinawan and Moluccan or Dawn Dewa. I'm including some of the Moluccan in today's soup.

Moluccan (Dawn or Daun Dewa) Spinac

Moluccan Spinach (Gynura divaricata), is said to be originally discovered in Formosa, now known as Taiwan. There is a variety called Gynura nepalensis said to have originated in Nepal.

A hardy, fast growing plant also related to the Okinawan Spinach.

This so-called cholesterol lowering plant is also said to be used in some countries as a tea to decrease the blood glucose of diabetic patients and has been used in China for bronchial treatments.

The plant throws long, straight ‘shoots’ that will keep on growing if left unchecked. I try to train them on trellises. It can be rooted directly into the ground by cuttings. The leaves have a slightly fuzzy texture that is not disagreeable to the palate. I have never seen a bloom or seed pod on this plant.

Can be eaten raw in salads or mixed in stews and stir fries. I prefer to cut a wad of them as a chiffonade in salads. A few leaves mixed in with a regular salad is best than using these leaves alone.

I have tried finding what vitamins and other properties this plant contains, but haven’t been too successful.

I first became familiar with this plant after moving to Hawai'i when a neighbor gave me a starter plant.

Do you usually feel like you’re completely overwhelmed when it comes to getting ready for the holidays?

Back in the day when I hosted large holiday get-togethers at our home, I learned that it was much easier if I mapped out a plan and then stuck to it. This means making lists… several lists!

Guest list. Menu list. List of ingredients needed for the dishes on your menu; list of ingredients already on hand and lists of those needed to buy, and a list of beverages you plan to serve. Remember to shop for non-perishables well in advance to ensure supplies are plentiful and the perishables can be bought a couple of days before they’re needed. Don’t wait until the day before the dinner to shop. Stores will be crazy and you might find they’re all out of crucial items needed.

Make a list of serving dishes, platters and tableware needed for each course. Of course, all of these last items depend on how formal or informal your meal will be served and how many people were invited. Is there room for a sit-down dinner or will it be served buffet style and everyone sits wherever they can?

If planning on cooking a traditional turkey, remember that the oven will be in use for several hours, so plan accordingly for any other dishes to be baked. There might be some dishes that can be made a couple of days ahead and then heated at the last minute.

Thawing the turkey: There are three methods for safely thawing a frozen turkey, but the safest and most foolproof is in the refrigerator. *To thaw in the refrigerator, you need to allow approximately 24 hours for every four to five pounds of bird weight. Place the turkey, still in its plastic wrapping, on a shallow baking pan and let it sit in the refrigerator the time it needs to thaw out completely. Make sure your refrigerator temperature is 40 F. You can easily check refrigerator temperature with a thermometer made especially for the job. You can find them in most kitchen gadget departments in the supermarkets or a restaurant supply store.*To thaw the turkey a bit faster, it can be done in a sink full of cold water, still in its original wrapping. The water needs to be changed every 30 minutes and you need to allow at least 30 minutes per pound of bird weight. *The third safest method is to thaw it in the microwave, but I have never tried this method and I'm not sure I ever would. I would not recommend it, but if you decide to do it, please look up in your microwave's manufacturer’s directions booklet for information. The turkey needs to be roasted immediately after thawing.

The Day Before:*Look at your recipes carefully and decide what can be done ahead. Prep as much as you can; peel and chop veggies, wash and pat the greens dry, cook anything that can be cooked ahead, and store everything in sealed plastic bags or covered containers in the refrigerator.*Plan the seating and set the table or arrange a casual buffet line the day or evening before, taking one item off your busy list on the day of the party. Set out as many decorations, in advance as you can, including candles and flowers. Candles should not be lit until dinner has been announced.

The Big Day: When the day arrives, there's a lot to do before your guests arrive, but there is no need to panic. *Check your recipes for preparation and baking times to make sure you begin baking early enough. If at all possible, plan your oven time for multiple uses. Since the turkey should sit out for a bit after it is baked, you can pop a pie to bake or even warm other items after the turkey is done. *If your oven is large enough, you might be able to fit in other items, such as casseroles to cook alongside the turkey. Take whatever advantage you have to cook multiple dishes at the same time, but remember that some things take longer than others. This is the perfect time for a kitchen timer to become your BFF.

Five easy steps for a perfect roast turkey*Thaw the turkey and remember to remove the plastic packages with the neck and giblets from the neck and body cavities. Place neck and giblets in a sauce pan along with onions, celery, and fresh thyme. Add plenty of water, season with salt and pepper (careful, you're reducing the liquid by a lot, so use caution in seasoning), and simmer for a few hours. Drain through a fine sieve and use this stock for making your gravy (instructions below). Remember you will need almost 3 cups of liquid for one batch of the gravy. *Preheat the oven to 325 F for conventional or 300 F for convection ovens. *Place turkey breast-side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. If cooking stuffing inside the turkey, fill the body cavity with stuffing now. I don't stuff the turkey (more about this below) *Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone. Juices from the turkey will baste the meat as it cooks. For added moisture, pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the pan and brush the turkey with oil or butter and seasonings. *Roast the turkey, uncovered, until the meat thermometer registers 180 F. Use the roasting timetable to estimate approximate cooking time. If stuffed, make sure the temperature of the stuffing has reached 160 F to 165 F before removing the turkey from the oven.

(inserting slices of starfruit/carambola and sage leaves between the skin and breast)

To stuff or not to stuff: I know that many cooks cannot conceive of roasting a turkey and not stuff it, but my personal preference is to cook the stuffing as a side dish of dressing and not inside the turkey. Instead of filling the cavities with stuffing, I prefer to fill them with quartered onions, slices of lemons or oranges, and bunches of aromatic fresh herbs. Whether you stuff it or cook it as a side dish, care needs to be taken to follow proper food safety with the raw ingredients, both during preparation and during cooking. If you prefer to stuff the turkey, please follow the simple safety guidelines below:* Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and all packages of giblets and neck from neck and body cavities have been removed. Rinse well and pat dry. * The stuffing should be prepared and fully cooked just before you fill the bird. * Do not stuff the turkey the night before. Always stuff it just before placing the bird in the oven. * Do not use raw ingredients to stuff the turkey. Be sure to sauté your vegetables such as onions, carrots and celery beforehand. Sauté or boil the meats used such as livers or sausage ahead of time. Due to the possible danger of bacteria developing in stuffing that does not cook completely while the turkey is roasting, use pasteurized egg products instead of raw eggs. * Stuff the turkey from both the neck and body cavities. Allow 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. * Do not pack stuffing too tightly into the turkey cavities. To guarantee even cooking, stuffing should be packed in loosely. * Return legs to original tucked position, if you untucked them for rinsing or stuffing. * Use a cooking method that allows the stuffing to cook at the same time as the turkey. * Do not stuff turkeys when cooking on an outdoor grill or water smoker or when deep-frying the turkey. * Do not leave roasted turkey sitting around for more than one hour with stuffing in it. * Remember to always take out the stuffing to store any leftover turkey. Store separately.

Making the gravy:This is the simplest method I have found for making gravy. The flavor will increase by using the turkey pan drippings and stock made with the giblets and neck that came with the turkey. This method will guarantee gravy without lumps:3 cups of pan juices and turkey stock made with the neck and giblets2 Tablespoons butter1/4 cup all-purpose flourSprigs of fresh sage or thymeBay leaf1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Strain pan juices into a large measuring cup. Spoon fat from juices. Add enough stock to make 3 cups. Transfer liquid to a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Make a paste with the butter and flour and cook it in a saucepan with a thick bottom, until it acquires a soft caramel color, but don't let it burn. This is called a roux. By cooking the roux, you eliminate the taste of raw flour in the finished gravy. Whisk the roux while slowly pouring in the broth. Add the sage or thyme, bay leaf, and wine (if using). Boil until reduced and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste (remember, the turkey stock was seasoned already). Discard the bay leaf at this point. I like to cut up the cooked giblets, except for the gizzard, and add it to the gravy after the gravy is finished.

While the food is cooking:*Take a few moments before your guests arrive to go through your house. Are there plenty of places for them to sit? How is the lighting? Are drinks and appetizers easily accessible? Are there clean hand towels and soap in the bathrooms? This is your chance to correct any earlier oversights. *Set out beverages, pupu or finger food first, so your guests will have something to entertain them until dinner is served. If you enjoy having company in the kitchen while you cook, serve the pupus in the kitchen, otherwise place them on a table in another room, and you will not have to remove anything when the time comes to serve the main meal.

(Chicken liver stuffing baked in muffin tins, the sauce is made with carrots and ginger. Servings of homemade whole cranberry sauce in compote dish)

Finally, last but not least, as you plan for your dinner, remember to make enough to have leftovers and have some disposable containers available for your guests. Many of us look forward to that turkey sandwich or extra servings of desserts and many of our guests love to take home a plate of goodies for the evening supper or even next day's lunch! Rule of thumb is to prepare at least 25 percent more food than you will need for the number of guests invited to dinner.

If you plan carefully, you won’t get frazzled and will be able to enjoy the meal and your guests. After all, this is a time to be thankful for all we have received, the bounty we’re able to share, and for the love of our family and friends.

September 25, 2019

This is one of my columns that first appeared in the Hamakua Times of Honoka'a about 8 or 9 years ago...and I feel that it is still relevant...in fact, maybe more so now...

For many years I have been standing on any soap box available and telling anyone who will listen to plant edible gardens instead of large expanses of expensive lawns of grass in their yards that just sit there looking pretty, but costing huge amounts of money for fertilizers, weed killers and endless hours of mowing for no return…except just a pretty lawn.

Edible gardens can be as beautifully landscaped as any traditional ornamental gardens and provide the bonus of food grown by your own hands and you have the advantage of knowing exactly what went into growing that food.

I’ve been passing such a garden for several years on our way to and from a friend’s house up on Waikea Uka and have always wanted to stop but for some reason or another never did…until recently when I spotted “the farmer” working in his garden.

Ronald Kudo is an interesting and unassuming man who will tell you right out he was never a farmer; his parent’s were, but Ronald was never interested and preferred to play, drink and gamble. The family owned 10 acres of land ‘back in the day’ and his father kept cows, planted coffee, bananas and other crops, mostly for their own use.

Through the years, pieces of the land were sold and after his parents died, Ronald inherited the land that was left, which is still a very large piece of land and the house on the property.

Standing in the yard one day about 20 years ago, and looking at all the rocks in the front of the house, he just started to wonder what he could grow to make the large front yard look nicer. He loves colorful flowers and decided to try to his hand at growing some.

Not having paid any attention as he was growing up, he started not knowing exactly what to do, but he realized that the rocky front yard needed all the help he could give it, so he started moving rocks out and bringing in some of the rich soil from where the cows had been kept for years and mixing it all in.

Soon he had neat rows of colorful flowers and he started adding a few herbs and vegetables to his growing garden. After his retirement, the garden became his ‘place to go’ and he started spending more and more time weeding, planting and harvesting. Gardening gave him a sense of self and a way to give some meaning to his life; an awakening.

He doesn’t always have the same things growing, but through the years I’ve noticed besides the multi-colored petunias, portulaca and day lilies, several varieties of tomatoes, beautiful lettuces, and huge heads of cabbage; beans, rows and rows of onions, some squashes, sweet potatoes and he usually plants watermelons after March. He shares his harvest with his daughter, friends and neighbors.

At one time, I remember seeing beautiful rows of multicolor zinnias mixed in with the vegetable plantings.

On the day of my visit, I also met Ronald’s wife Jean, who joins him while working in the garden, but when asked, she said she mostly weeds and leaves the planting to him.

There are a few chickens that come to visit his garden from neighboring yards; he welcomes their presence since they will scratch and eat some of the harmful bugs and leave nice fertilizer behind.

When I commented about how beautiful and healthy his garden looked his response was “When you’re at peace with yourself your vegetables sense it and they thrive.”

As a parting gift, Ronald gave us a beautiful head of cabbage, bunches of green onions and some of the sweetest lettuce we’ve ever eaten.

Simple Cabbage and Carrot Slaw

This is a simple slaw and the dressing is quite healthy.

I like to slice the fresh cabbage in very thin slices then cut again to make the pieces bite-sized. I 'shave' the carrot off with a vegetable peeler. The dressing is Greek yogurt with honey and white vinegar. Just mix amounts to taste.

September 23, 2019

Cooler nights call for completely different menu than my usual light, tropical food...I want to replicate some of the dishes I've tried in the past and will share several in the next few days!

I shared these recipes in a blog post 12/25/15, and wanted to share them again so I can find them easily to make this fall.

Entrée: Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Sauce...a recipe taught by Shirley Corriher of Atlanta, GA, many years ago when I owned a cooking school in Orangeburg, SC, served with "one stick butter rice", a popular casserole rice dish from the 1960s which is being resurrected lately. I used suggestions made by a friend and added some veggies to the rice.

Pork Tenderloin in Hoisin Sauce

1 pork tenderloin

1 jar Hoisin sauce

1/2 stick butter

dry white wine

2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)

Empty a small jar of Hoisin Sauce in a small saucepan, add the 1/2 stick butter, 1/2 cup white wine, and 2 tablespoons sugar (I did not add sugar this time); bring to a boil and turn heat off. Place the tenderloin in it. When it cools, transfer the tenderloin and sauce to a Ziploack bag and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the tenderloin from the bag; reserve the marinading sauce. Roast the tenderloin in a preheated oven at 500 degrees for about 9 or 10 minutes, turn over and repeat. Internal temperature should reach 148 degrees when done. Reheat the marinade sauce and boil for a few minutes to kill any bacteria. Cut the tenderloin in medallions and serve with some of the sauce.

"One Stick Butter" Rice Casserole

This version of the recipe is very accommodating; you can use any type rice and any vegetables you want.

Caramelize the shallots in a tiny bit of the butter. Add the rest of the veggies, the rice, the onion soup mix, butter and water. Cover and bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 30 minutes. I found I needed to cook the rice just a little bit longer, about 5 more minutes.

August 04, 2019

My sister Sandra and cousin Sandy decided to host a party for their 'family pod' living in this area of NE Florida during my visit here...the party was yesterday. Sandra is still going through boxes and stuff after her move from Miami last year...she found a little booklet dated 1933 from Sloppy Joe's Bar in Havana...a place where the literati and the famous used to hang out during that era and made famous by Ernest Hemingway.

The booklet has a brief history of the place, a list of the meats and such served in sandwiches, and recipes for alcoholic drinks of the era. A lot of people associate the name Sloppy Joe's with the messy sandwich...but the original Havana Sloppy Joe's was not a sandwich and not even a restaurant as such, but mainly a 'gathering place' for the known and famous to meet, talk, and drink...but yes, some sandwiches were served for those who wished something to nibble on while drinking.

She also had an old vintage souvenir Bacardi recipe booklet, which she had given to her daughter Cassie. Cass brought it with her.

The invitations were sent, with a photo of the façade of the building in Havana

They selected a list of the drink recipes, copied them to individual cards, and had the adult guests each select a card, blindly, and that individual would have to make the drink selected...the rest of the guests would have tastes of each in tiny little cups...

The children had Shirley Temples and Virgin Margaritas.

Cass brought her collection of shakers!

Olives, maraschino cherries, oranges, lemons, and key limes

The front of the island was covered with banana leaves from Cassie and Charlie's yard. The food was placed on them. Sandra made little labels for the cheeses.

Strawberries, figs, grapes, and apple slices were the fruits I selected to go with the cheeses. The kids went straight for the strawberries and Ghirardelli chocolate dish. The three different types of honey were a contribution from my friend Carey Yost and came from beehives in her yard on the Big Island.

In case you didn't know...cheeses are delicious with a dribble of honey!

There is a lemon and fig marmalade in the yellow bowl at top center.

A scrumptious tip...put a dab of Blue Cheese on a fig half and dribble honey on it...YUM!

The meat tray, two different types of sliced sausages, an assortment of nuts, and a tray of pickles, and olives completed the buffet spread.

Jen deciding on which drink card to choose

One of the drinks made, and the card with the recipe.

Goodie Bags I brought from Hawaii for the guests...Hawaiian honey, beeswax candle in glass container, Hawaiian vanilla bean in glass tube, Hawaii grown and harvested allspice berries, and cloves. Sandra has a huge collection of drink stirrers, all from Cuba and Cuban nightclubs, and she made them available for the guests to take.

July 14, 2019

This article was originally published in the Hamakua Times of Honoka'a (August 2011 issue)

The mango season has me singing a song that originated in my birth island of Cuba. The original song words use ‘mambo’ instead of mango…and ‘que rico’ means ‘how delicious’ ….and we know that mangoes are now plentiful, at their peak and definitely onolicious!

In a column I wrote for The Hamakua Times in July of 1999, I mention that the mango (Mangifera indica) is probably a more important fruit in the tropics than the apple is in the temperate zones and has been in cultivation for at least 6,000 years.

In another column for this same newspaper, in August of 2000, I again write about mangoes and share that the mango is a relative of the cashew and pistachio trees and also to the poison ivy and poison oak vines which we’re very lucky to not have in the islands!

More mango facts:

*There are hundreds of species and varieties of mangoes grown throughout the world.

*Mangoes are rich in Vitamin A and contain large quantities of Vitamins B and C as well as potassium, iron, iodine and calcium.

*The top exporters of mangoes in the world are India, Pakistan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Israel, Peru and South Africa.

*Some people can develop severe skin rashes when in contact with any parts of the tree or fruit, same as if they touched poison ivy or poison oak vines.

Whether that last one is true or not, I will let the readers find out for themselves.

Mangoes have always been my most favorite fruit and when reading recipes using other fruits such as peaches, apricots and nectarines, I automatically think mangoes!

Mangoes can be eaten out of hand just plucked from the tree with juices running down your chin and arms or in what my grandmother would have considered a more civilized manner by peeling and dicing, cutting or slicing the fresh fruit; mixed in tropical fruit salads, as juice by itself or in tall refreshing mixed drinks; in pies, cheesecakes, tarts, cakes, smoothies, ice cream, pickles, chutneys, mousse and puddings, sauces, soups, jams and preserves and even used as an ingredient in cooked dishes.

Did you know?: *Mangoes have a practical application as a meat tenderizer. *The fruit is very high in Vitamin A (beta-carotene) which is considered a cancer-fighting agent. *Mangoes are said to be good for the kidneys, aid digestion, relieve clogged skin pores, reduce cysts and reduce excess body heat and fevers. *The mango flowers and sap also have medicinal uses, but there are many people allergic to the skin of the mango and the sap from the trees, but can eat a peeled fruit. *The leaves are toxic when digested.

Choosing and Storing: When choosing fresh mangoes make sure that the surface yields to gentle pressure and that there are no blemishes or dark and soft spots.

A ripe mango will yield a very noticeable fragrant aroma. If the mangoes are still hard and green when picked, place them in a brown paper bag on the counter for a few days to ripen. If picked too soon, they will not ripen properly and will smell and taste like turpentine.

A ripe mango can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

To freeze mangoes, just peel, seed and slice or cut in chunks and place in a freezer-proof plastic bag, taking care to extract all the excess air… or do as my mother used to do when we lived in Cuba and had more mangoes than we could consume… wash and freeze them whole. These can be used in recipes, or as we kids used to love to eat them, frozen and peeling with our teeth….they tasted like mango ice cream!

If you want to learn more about mangoes, celebrate the mango and taste all kine ono ways in which mangoes can be enjoyed, I invite you to attend the Hawaii Healing Garden & Mango Festival at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort this coming Saturday the 30th of July from 10 am to 5 pm.

Mango Bread Pudding

If you have only eaten plain bread puddings, you are missing great treats when combined with fruits. Serve hot or warm with your favorite tropical fruit sauce or the Mango Sauce recipe below.

Spray 8 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Break up bread into pan, tuck mango slices in between bread and sprinkle the chopped nuts all over.

Mix beaten eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla until all the egg breaks up and sugar is dissolved. Pour egg mixture over the bread and mangoes, dot with pieces of butter. Bake at 325 degrees for about 55 minutes. Note: Can be assembled night before and put in refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

(*) For a special treat, use Portuguese sweet bread.

Mango Sauce Try this over the bread pudding above, ice cream, angel food or pound cake. For an even greater taste explosion, try over a slice of chocolate cake! Excellent served with grilled chicken, fish or shrimp. This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily.

1 ripe mango 1/2 to 1 cup fresh homemade lemonade

Peel the mango and remove flesh cutting off from around the stone. Combine mango pieces with the lemonade in a blender and process until smooth. If too thin, add more mangoes. If too thick, add a little bit more lemonade. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil, stirring with a whisk. Remove from heat and cool. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Habanero Chile Mango Ice Cream

Eat cautiously! It is deceptively cool at first, and absolutely delicious, but then........... hot, Hot, HOT!

I didn't want to cook, so decided on cold cuts, hard boiled eggs, and cheeses. When I went to look for the cold cuts I thought I had...realized we were out, so defrosted and cooked some maple sausages instead... the tea served was a refreshing mango flavored tea from a Hawaiian brand.

July 01, 2019

This is the story of how two people born in Cienfuegos, Cuba...many years apart... (one living in Hawai'i and the other in Massachusetts), met in Hilo, HI.

I was attending the Annual Hilo Orchid Show in July last year as a vendor of Hawai'i Island Grown Spices, etc...I don't remember the exact words, but I was talking to someone I knew about tropical fruits...and my acquaintance happened to mention something that made me reply with 'we also grew them in Cuba' ...or something to that effect.

I had barely gotten the words out and before I could finish telling him what I was going to say when a man who was standing next to the one I knew exclaimed 'Are you from Cuba?' and I replied yes... then he said 'Me too!...then I said, I'm from Cienfuegos...and he replied 'Me too!'

...of course, I ran around our table and we hugged and air kissed and were talking a mile a minute...Although he and his family live on the mainland US, they own a home in the Hilo area for when they retire. He is the president of a Community College in the state of Massachusetts, an author, scholar and educator and she is a lawyer.

Well, Luis and his family are back in Hilo on vacation and we got together for dinner at their home last evening along with some of their friends.

Luis getting ready to make 'Gambas al Ajillo' (garlic shrimp)... he also made Cuban Style black beans, which were served with white rice...guests contributed a salad and Filipino pancit. Anthony and I contributed bread (to better sop all the buttery garlic goodness of the shrimp!) and Spanish sangria.

It was fun getting to know Luis and Leigh a little better and to meet their friends Sam, Annette, Ron, and Rachel...as well as the gaggle of girls.